A Game of Rulers
by SonofForossa
Summary: The Queen and The General. Their stories are similar, yet different, and now they are drawn into conflict. The King and the Kell wage their wars, while the Prince lurks, plotting. The Traveler will choose. Hadden Dun Marchall. (Sequel to King of the Sands)
1. Prologue

A Game of Rulers

 **Prologue: The Transmission**

 **Well, I'm back! Welcome to A Game of Rulers, the sequel to King of the Sands and most certainly NOT named after a certain book-adapted TV series. Certainly.**

 **Let's go!**

 **()()()()()()()()()()**

" _To any and all Guardians, this is Larana Harmon, Hunter Bladedancer under the command of The Future War Cult. I have been compromised by unidentified hostile forces, and am in a Class One situation. Repeat, I am in a Class One situation, and require backup immediately._

 _To any and all Guardians…"_

"Cayde, we've located the beacon, and it's still transmitting, but… sir, she's… she's not here. It's just her helmet."

"…"

"Copy that, sir. We'll bring it back… I know, but we checked the entire perimeter. She's not hiding nearby, unless she's in Winters Run… yes, that WAS sarcasm."

"…"

"Don't even get started, Cayde."

"…"

"Well I'M not the one who went and got themselves elected to serve as Vanguard commander of every damn Hunter in existence."

"…"

"Don't even try that 'it wasn't my choice' bullshit."

"…"

"Fine, we'll double check, but she's not nearby."

"…"

"Yes, I know Future War Cult'll be breathing down your neck over this, but there's not much I can do about that, is there?"

"…"

"Understood, sir. We'll find her, don't worry."

"…"

"Copy that, Jericho-44 out."

 **()()()()()**

"No. Larana can't just have gone missing!" Mark exclaimed, slamming his fist into the table. "She'd have told me if she'd been planning on going on one of her trips!"

"Well, her helmet was on Venus, but nothing else." Jericho replied, the expressionless metal plate that covered half his face shifting slightly. "I don't know what else to make of that."

"And there aren't ANY leads? None?" Mark asked, tone desperate.

"Look, Mark, I know how hard this must be for you, but she's either dead or, even worse, captured by the Fallen." Jericho said, clasping his head in his hands. "I couldn't for the life of me guess anything else."

"Well then I'll clear Winters Run myself!" Mark said, rising from his seat. Jericho quickly pulled him back down.

"Mark, you can't just storm in there and fight the biggest Fallen House just because your girlfriend MIGHT be being held captive by them." He said, tone pleading.

"I don't know what else to do, or where to look." Mark said, slumping in his seat and placing his head in his hands. "I… I just…"

"Mark, man, what's the matter?" There was Jorik 'Blacksmith' Brodin, a Swedish Guardian with a bad tendency to kill enemies with his axe made of Relic Iron, and little else. Rumour had it he was searching for a Gjallerhorn, but those were just rumours.

"It's Larana! She's gone missing, and I have no idea where to look…" Mark trailed off, head falling into his hands again.

"Why not ask Erik?" Jorik said, shrugging. "His forces basically have naval dominance over the system. He could probably tell you something."

"That's… that's actually a good idea!" Mark said, jumping from his seat. "Come on Jericho!"

Jericho's protests went unheard by the youthful Titan as he was dragged away from the bar, past several other Guardians who only showed mild surprise at the sight of Jericho being dragged somewhere by Mark. Jorik sat down, before sighing.

"I should probably give him a hand." He said, before standing, giving a longing look at the beer behind the bar before leaving.

 **()()()()()**

"Firing primary cannon."

A loud roaring noise filled the bridge of _'Avengara Sevra'_ as the primary Slug Cannon fired. A three-ton tungsten-cored projectile flew at a speed faster than sound and struck the Fallen Ketch, tearing another enormous hole in the main fuselage as a chain reaction of explosions tore along the outer hull.

The Ketch returned fire with its broadside, but the blasts of arc energy failed to do any more than scorch the mighty plasteel and relic iron hull of the Cabal vessel. Three more of the Fallen's Skiffs were torn apart by interceptor fire, and the piecemeal Fallen flotilla was forced to retreat into jumpspace.

" _Marchall_ , the enemy retreats before our might!" _Admirallen_ Kornick called, looking to his leader.

Erik had changed in six months. Gone was his former wear as a Titan, having been replaced with far more… REGAL gear.

His armour was no longer simple Justicar armour, instead being a strange fusion of Last City and Cabal wargear. His breastplate was a flat plane of plasteel backed by relic iron, before five segmenting plates of spinmetal formed the guard over his stomach. His shoulder pauldrons were twin quarter-domes, the right marked with the crest of the Cabal legions while the other on the left was marked with Erik's personal symbol, a red sword over a blue tower.

His arm-guards were also of an interesting make, crimson plasteel and relic iron wrapping around his entire upper arm, before a circular shoulder pad separated it from the vambrace, which forged of the same material of the rest, except a blue stripe ran down its front, leading to a small peak over the top of the backs of his hands. The backs of his hands were also protected by spinmetal, before leading to small plates that covered every part of his fingers except the joints. Even the tips of his fingers were protected.

His legs were well protected as well, a single plate wrapped around his thighs, before seven segmented plates of relic iron protected his shins, leading down from circular knee guards, and leading to boots made of spinmetal and lined with sapphire weave, making him feel as though his feet were bare.

His Titan mark was now four parts. The first ran down from his crotch to his knees, in the manner of a loincloth, and was crimson with the mark of the Cabal upon it. The second and third were on each thigh, hanging off the side and marked with Erik's personal symbol, before the last ran from waist to his knees on the back, marked with the symbol of the Last City.

He cut an imposing figure, the armour increasing his height to a remarkable six-foot-seven-inches, and his face had been hardened by the trials of battle and leadership. Gone was the soft skin and amicable smile, replaced with stern features and steely eyes, though he still wore a wry grin most of the time. Even war couldn't change some people, it turned out.

"Very good, Kornick. Bring us around and ready for warp back to Mars." Erik said, before a Psion ran up to him. He took a chunky white slate from the small Cabal, tapping its surface once or twice, before his eyes widened and his jaw set into a thin lipped scowl.

"Kornick, cease the previous order!" He called. "Prepare Landing Bay Seven, and order a ground crew and my Honour Guard there as well!"

"Of course, _Marchall_ Erik." Kornick said, only questioning the orders for a moment before tapping some commands into his main terminal.

Meanwhile, Erik stared at the slate, frowning and muttering to himself.

"So that's what that bitch meant…"

 **()()()()()**

"So, Larana disappeared on Venus, left her helmet behind, and now you're looking for her by yourself." Erik repeated, looking at Mark. "And you came for me to information."

"I didn't know where else to come to!" Mark cried, slumping in his seat and staring at the table. Erik only placed a hand on the younger Titans shoulder.

"It's alright Mark. I have a feeling I know where she is." Erik replied.

Mark looked up, blinking away tears. "You… you do?" He asked, eyes widening.

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure anyways.'" Erik leaned in closer. "Mark, ever wanted to meet royalty?"

 **()()()()()()()()()()**

 **Well, I hope that was a decent hook for you. Sorry for the shorter length, I just wanted to get this out there and ready, as well as this just being a sort of set-up for the rest of the story.**

 **As a side note, I plan for A Game of Rulers to only be about ten chapters at most, maybe less, but each chapter will likely be about two-to-three thousand words. So more bang for your buck.**

 **See ya!**


	2. Chapter 1

A Game of Rulers

 **Chapter One: Welcome to the Reef**

 **Well, welcome to the story proper. See the bottom for an OC sheet (I'm only taking Awoken this time around) and please review!**

 **Let's go!**

 **()()()()()()()()()()**

" _The Generals Hand contacting Wall of Kabara, come in Wall of Kabara."_

" _This is Wall of Kabara, receiving you clearly. What is it you require, The Generals Hand?"_

" _We have received several reports of unidentified forces near your position, confirm or deny?"_

" _Deny, sir. No sign of any forces."_

" _Clear, Wall of Kabara. Continue your patrol routes."_

" _Clear. Wall of Kabara, ending."_

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Maratha asked, gripping the Cabal Centurion by his armour while holding a knife to his throat. "Shame I have to kill you now, you were such a good boy."

"Silence, _Akenda_. Your threats hold no sway over me." The Centurion replied, voice even and calm despite his current position."

"And what makes you say that, dear?" Maratha asked, pulling the knife a little tighter.

" _Ovrthen Encra, Marchalls Ragnen!_ " The Centurion bellowed, the Siege Tank responding by locking down the main hatches.

"What was that?" Maratha hissed, leaning in closer. "What did you do?"

"Sealed your doom, _Bishka_." The Centurion responded, smiling beneath his helmet.

"Wait… what's the reactor doing? What's happening?!" The Awoken screamed, grabbing at the hatch, only to find it locked.

"This tank will explode in thirty seconds, taking both of us with it." The Centurion said, sitting in his command throne and tapping at his console.

"Stop it! Stop it or I'll kill you now!" Maratha yelled, lunging at the Centurion with a knife. The larger Cabal officer slapped the weapon out of her hand.

"I will die anyways." He said, punching the female Awoken in the head. He muttered something in the Cabal tongue as Maratha lay upon the floor, bleeding from the gash in her scalp.

"What are you saying?" She asked, clenching her head as blood leaked out between her fingers.

"I'm sending a recording of the last half hour to _Dun Marchalls Gaunt_." The Centurion said.

"N-" The Awoken was cut off by the explosion of the tanks reactor, blasting her small body into dust in seconds.

The Centurion lasted a little longer, sheer willpower holding him to reality, and smiled beneath his helmet, muttering one last statement.

"We had a good run, didn't we, _Kabara_?" He said, as the raging ball of solar fire consumed him as well. "I'm so sorry it had to end this way…"

And with that he perished, his armour succumbing to the scorching heat and melting, fusing him with his command throne. His last thought was one of contentment, knowing he and his metallic steed would be together forever now.

And many miles away, Kallus Thro'sern watched the last piece of data sent by the now destroyed vehicle, a scowl gracing his lips.

 **()()()()()**

" _State your purpose, Cabal vessel!"_ Arithi, a patrolling Awoken pilot, called. The large ivory and red vessel failed to respond for several seconds, and she worried. There was no way her tiny patrol ship would be able to bring down something that big.

" _This is Marchall Erik Volden. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"_ The ship responded, the voice at the other end sounding surprisingly human.

" _This is Patrol Two-Seven. I repeat, state your purpose!"_ Arithi said, not letting the human voice distract her.

" _I seek audience with the Queen of the Reef, for reasons of negotiations."_ The voice responded again. _"I am the leader of the Cabal forces in this system."_

" _Please allow me a moment to converse with my superiors."_ Arithi said, sending a message to the Harbourmaster. He responded with an affirmative, when it turned out this visit was pre planned.

" _Understood, Marchall Erik Volden. Your ship may dock at dry dock three."_ Arithi replied, sending a transmission revealing the location of the dry dock. The ship began moving again, this time to dock at the aforementioned harbor.

Arithi sighed in relief. Dealing with Cabal warships hadn't been in the job description, and she wasn't sure that sort of stress was something she could deal with.

 **()()()()()**

"Well, this is rather… formal." Erik muttered to Mark, as the twenty Awoken troopers stood at attention, ceremonial blades held in a jaunty salute as the Queen's right hand man, Crow, stepped forwards, bowing in a very fashionable manner.

Erik returned the bow by clapping his right fist to his chest in the traditional Cabal salute, drawing a surprised gasp from the assembled Awoken. They had never seen anything of the sort before, this militaristic approach to greetings. Mark gave the traditional Titan salute, holding his open right hand to his forehead before clasping it in a fist before his chest. This also drew a gasp from the crowd, but the pair of Titans cared little.

Edge walked out of the dropship with his sniper rifle on his back, only nodding at Crow before looking around at the veritable army of Awoken that surrounded them, scanning for any possible threats.

"Hail, Crow, prince of the Awoken and brother to the Queen." Erik said. "I trust the Queen awaits our arrival?"

"Um… yes, she does." Crow replied, looking slightly puzzled.

"Then let us not dilly dally with pointless pomp and bluster!" Erik said, looking around them. "I have arrived for negotiations, not a bloody ball!"

"Of-of course, General. Right this way." Crow stuttered, clearly wrong-footed by this turn of events.

As they followed him, Mark leaned over to Erik. "You're really not good at this whole 'diplomacy' thing, are you?"

"Shut up."

 **()()()()()**

Erik's first reaction to the Queen was one of immediate appreciation of the feminine form and all it stood for. His next reaction was mentally slapping himself, and his third reaction was blushing as he realized he had paused like an idiot for several seconds. His fourth and final reaction was a quick salute, while simultaneously bowing, Hush and Mark following his example.

"So, you are Erik Volden, General of the Cabal." The Queen said, her voice a sensual… purr, for Erik's want of a less suggestive way of putting it. "I've heard SO much about you, and your friends here."

"And you're the Queen of the Reef." Erik replied. "I believe we both know why I am here."

"Indeed we do, General." The Queen said, stepping back slightly. "My people are at war, and you can end that."

"That's your hope, anyhow." Erik said, leaning in slightly. "The question is, why should I aid you? For all I know I could be assisting an abusive leader, or a corrupt one. Hell, the Awoken locked into a civil war could be beneficial to me. You and your navy are the only thing that rivals my own fleet in this sector."

"You will aid us, Erik Volden," The Queen replied. "Because we know where Larana Harmon is being held."

Mark snapped.

"Where is she?!" He shouted, drawing his rifle. Immediately, two Fallen Vandals armed with Arc pikes leapt from their positions at the Queens side to stand before her, weapons held upright, before charging.

Then Smoke happened.

The Exo hunter seemingly materialized from thin air, grabbing one Vandal's pike and spinning, slamming it into the others head, before kicking the first in the chest, sending him tumbling to the ground. The first Vandal ceased being dazed after just a few seconds, swinging his pike in a horizontal slice. Smoke ducked beneath the swing, spinning on his right heel and bring his left foot up in an impressive horse kick that sent the second Vandal sprawling.

"Well, can't say that was difficult." Smoke said, cracking his mechanical neck.

"You bastards!" Crow yelled, charging Smoke with his knives in each hand.

Smoke only watched the charging Awoken, before jumping over the man cleanly, landing, spinning, and bringing his elbow around into the Queen's Brother's head. The Awoken prince like a sack of bricks, and Smoke turned, bowing to the Queen.

"Madam, I'm sorry for making such a mess of your throne room." He said, looking around.

The Queen seemed stunned at the Hunter's sudden arrival, but regained her composure quickly, bowing in return.

"It was somewhat expected, Hunter. My brother can be somewhat… overzealous." The Queen replied, before looking at Erik. "Might I ask who this is?"

"This is Smoke, my bodyguard-slash-champion, when the need arises." Erik answered.

"Also, why does your friend here seem so upset?" She asked, gesturing to Mark, who still stood with a look of anger on his face.

"Because Larana Harmon and he are in love." Erik replied simply, as a look of understanding spread across the Queens face.

"Ah… so that's what that was about…" The Queen said, before looking at Mark. "Guardian, I can promise you this. Should Erik choose to aid me, I will aid in the recovery of your beloved."

Erik was impressed. That was a hell of a way to make sure he lent support to the Queen, making a deal with a third party Erik couldn't refuse. What kind of asshole would he be if he were to refuse Mark his lover?

"Very well, Queen." Erik said. "My forces and I shall lend any support you require."

"Thank you." The Queen said, visibly relieved. Erik realized just how tired she looked, with the bags under her eyes and slightly slumped posture.

"I can't refuse a person in need anyhow." Erik replied, grinning. "I'm a sucker for beautiful women in need."

Erik paused when he realized he had just said that out loud.

"Oh, _Fiek_." He muttered, as the Queen dually blushed and looked away, a lecherous grin spread across Marks face, and edge and Smoke both looked indifferent. "I said that out loud, didn't I."

 **()()()()()()()()()()**

 **Well, that's Chapter One finished!**

 **See ya!**


	3. Chapter 2

A Game of Rulers

 **Chapter Two: A Matter of War**

 **This Chapter is dedicated to Nathaniel 'Superhero' Warrin, one of my greatest friends, who was killed in action yesterday by a collapsing building after saving the civilian inhabitants of said building. He always said he wanted to die as he lived; saving people, so I suppose he got his greatest wish.**

 **My melancholy mood may have leaked into this chapter a bit, but so be it.**

 **Let's go.**

 **()()()()()()()()()()**

"Has she said anything yet?"

"No. I'm afraid the Vandal went too strong, too fast. She doesn't even beg him to stop like she used to, just hangs there blank-faced."

"Damn. I suppose we'll have to dispose of her then."

"No, not yet. We may still be able to make her talk."

"Why do you like her so much?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"She is of no more use to us. Why do you insist on keeping her alive?"

"I suppose it's because she reminds me of her."

"Allara, nothing's going to replace her."

"I know, it's just…"

"It's just that she bears a slight resemblance to your former lover, and therefore you can't kill her."

"So what if I can't?!"

"It shows weakness, Allara, and weakness gets you killed, especially when visible."

"I know…"

"Allara, listen. I'm giving you three more days. If she doesn't wake up by then, I'm killing her myself. Understood?"

"Yes, Mortrin."

"Good. And don't forget, we need to contact Psycho about that damn Royal Guardsman."

"Alright, I'll get on that."

"Remember, three days. Then I kill her."

 **()()()()()**

"You have got to be kidding me." Erik said, as Churchill, his Ghost, floated in front of him.

"No, I'm not. She has requested you dine with her royal court in one hour." Churchill replied, before floating back to the door. "She also requests you wear your full armour."

"But I just got out of my full armour!" Erik protested. "It'll take me twenty minutes to put it all back on!"

"Then you're lucky you have an hour." Churchill said, before disintegrating into thin air.

"By the Traveler I hate you…" Erik muttered.

"But you keep me around anyways." Churchill replied from inside his head.

Erik sighed, before beginning the long process of applying his armour, groaning all the while.

"Erik!" Mark ran into the room, seeing Erik donning his wargear again. "Did you hear?! We've been invited to dinner with your future girlfriend!"

"She's not my future girlfriend, Mark." Erik said, sighing as he struggled with his right gauntlet.

"Of course she is!" Mark said, grinning. "You practically said so yourself!"

"I simply stated she was beautiful." Erik sighed, still struggling with the gauntlet.

"Yeah, but I could see the look on your face when you first saw her." Mark said. "You really like her, man."

"No, I am simply interested in the diplomatic reasons for befriending her. Now help me with this damn gauntlet!"

 **()()()()()**

"Well… _Shieth_." Erik muttered as he entered the dining room, seeing the couple-dozen _Akenda_ nobles gathered to view his arrival.

Erik's gaze was immediately drawn to the Queen, sitting at the head of the table, two of her royal guards standing at either side of her chair. One was in their standard armour, his face concealed by his helmet, but the other was bare-faced with the exception of a scarf around his neck and mouth. This one drew Erik's attention, mostly because of the way he observed the Guardians. All the other Awoken were viewing him with mixed interest and superiority, but this one held a sort of respect in his gaze.

He watched as the guard noticed him staring, and as the man immediately straightened up, continuing to scan the room in the typical fashion of a bodyguard. Erik looked over the remaining Awoken he hadn't observed, seeing nothing too out of the ordinary, before cracking a wry grin.

"Well, if I've passed your inspection, I'd say it's about time we actually ate!" He said, Mark's immediate perking up agreeing with his statement.

The Awoken seemed rather surprised at this, but quickly took their seats. The Queen gestured to the spot to her left, and Erik gladly took it, noting that Crow took the right, the man staring resentfully at him. Erik shot him a quick grin, before looking to the Queen.

"Well, madam, what shall we be eating?" He asked, looking at the approaching waiters.

"Several courses, the first of which is a cold soup containing light seasoning of spirit bloom." One of the waiters interrupted, placing a small bowl before Erik, who noted the lack of a spoon.

He looked around and noted the Awoken nobles sipping from their bowls, quickly mimicking their actions and sipping at it himself. He noticed the greenish broth tasted almost like chicken, and then stopped questioning it when he realized he quite liked it.

The rest of the meal passed in similar fashion, increasingly delightful foods were placed before Erik, who proceeded to devour them wholesale. The rest of the Awoken were too busy observing him as a person to care about his table manners, but Edge had to smack Mark a couple times when the youth tried to eat with his fingers. Mark had only glared, looking like a small child, before returning to his meal.

Several times Erik noticed the scarf-wearing guard looking at him again, the man's gaze quickly reverting to scanning the room when he realized Erik was staring back. It had become almost a game, and Erik found it quite funny.

"So, why did the general bring you along?" One of the Awoken asked Edge, who only looked at the man in return.

The noble frowned, displeased by the Titan's silence. "I asked, why did the general bring you along?"

Edge only gestured towards his throat, the angry red and pink lines of his scars making his story clear, but this noble seemed remarkably slow. "Dammit man, talk!" He said, scowling. Mark looked up from his current dish, some sort of meat.

"Edge had his throat torn out by a Hive Wizard." He said, frowning at the intrusive noble. The man looked back at Edge, and tilted his head slightly.

"So?" He asked, causing Edge to roll his eyes, before bringing his palm to his head with a 'SMACK!'.

"Edurad, please, stop interrogating the guests." The Queen called, causing the noble to retreat into his seat as the Queens two guards, as well as the rest of the table, turned their heads to him. Mark gave him a quick smirk, before snatching Edge's dinner roll. The silent Titan only rolled his eyes again.

 **()()()()()**

"Well, that was nice!" Mark said, rubbing his stomach as Edge only nodded, after Erik had asked them what they thought. "The nobles were kind of dicks, but the meal was great. Can we stay here for a while?"

"We have to. You need to find Larana, and I need to arrange another bloody peace treaty." Erik said, sounding tired. "I'm going to be up for hours."

"Just tell the Queen you're tired." Mark said, shrugging.

"It doesn't work like that, Mark. She has set the time of the meeting." Erik said, sighing. "We're meeting in her private study… get that damn grin off your face!"

"It's bound to happen, Erik." Mark said, smiling. "I saw the way she was looking at you the whole meal."

"I'm surprised you saw anything but the food on your plate." Smoke's voice came from their earpieces.

"S'not my fault the Awoken know what they're doing in the kitchen." Mark said defensively.

"Mark, go to bed." Erik said, before looking at Edge. "Edge, do you mind checking up on the engineering bay in the ship? I want you to see about that project we started. And Smoke, stop picking on the kids."

Edge gave him the Titan salute in response, before turning and jogging away. Mark was sulking.

"What am I, seven?" He asked, pouting.

"No, but you're acting like one." Erik pointed out, before turning and leaving.

 **()()()()()**

Erik entered the study at almost ten o'clock exactly, knocking at the door with three solid raps on the metal, before it slid open. It opened to reveal the Queen, looking just as tired as he felt.

"Ma'am." He said, bowing slightly. The Queen returned the gesture, before turning and entering her study. Erik followed.

"Well then, General-" Erik interrupted her.

"Just call me Erik, my lady." He interjected.

"Very well then." The queen seemed surprisingly amicable at this. "Anyhow, Erik, I have identified our first target. The rebels have several caches of weaponry and supplies in the city, and we need to find and capture these caches."

"Simple enough." Erik said, looking at the map spread before him. Most of the caches were cunningly placed in civilian areas, meaning that all out assaults would be risky. "This'll be tricky. All these areas are heavily populated with civilians that could get caught in the crossfire."

"That's the issue we've been trying to work around." The Queen said, sighing.

Erik thought for a moment, rapidly running plans and strategies through his head, before the answer came to him.

"I think I may have a solution." He laid out the plan to the Queen, who smiled. He noticed her smile made his heart skip a beat, than swore at his mind for procuring the thought.

"I like it." She said, looking back at the map. "We'll do it."

And all Erik could do was nod as his mind raced with a million contradicting thoughts, mostly on what he thought about the Queen.

 **()()()()()**

"Indeed, _Silenok_. The prototype is prepared." Edge took the strange weapon from the table, walking over to the firing range that had been redesigned for just this purpose.

He braced the rectangular skeleton-stock against his shoulder and looked down the squared scope, smiling beneath his helm when the video feed between his helmet and the scope synced up, leaving him looking at what the scope saw. He took aim with the rifle, designating the furthest target, partially hidden by a wall. He smiled again when an outline of red revealed where the rest of it was. He centered the crosshairs over the head and pulled the trigger, two high caliber shells flying from the barrel.

The sound it made was a dull _whish_ , nice and quiet, and the target's head disappeared into nothing, and the solar energy in the rounds caught and burned the rest of the target. He sighted and fired again, this time at a target entirely behind a wall, and almost laughed with glee when the first round exploded, punching a hole in the wall, before the second flew through said hole and turned the targets head to mulch.

He aimed again, this time at a target resembling a Hive Knight, armour included, and pulled the trigger, feeling three rounds fire instead of two. The first round blasted a hole in the armour, the second ignited the flesh and the third went for the kill. He loved this thing. He looked away, disconnecting his helmet from the scope, and placed the weapon on the table again, only nodding once at the engineer. The Psion nodded eagerly, before gently taking the rifle and returning to her lab.

Edge rolled his shoulders and yawned, the sound rasping and dry. He turned and left the room, grabbing Broken Truth LR-3 on the way out.

He needed a drink.

 **()()()()()()()()()()**

 **What, you want excuses as to where I've been the past month and a half?**

 **Florida.**


	4. Chapter 3

A Game of Rulers

 **Chapter 3: When Everything Falls Apart**

 **Well, I wasn't expecting that kind of response for my first update in frakking forever, but I'll roll with it. Seriously, I was expecting a lot more 'where were you, why didn't you update' and 'seriously, you suck, update more'. Wasn't expecting these 'hey, you're back, nice chapter' reviews.**

 **I'm pleasantly surprised.**

 **()()()()()**

" _Kith Id Psykra Und, Reporinas Vith."_

" _Kith Id Psykra Zeir, Reporinas Vith."_

" _Undradden. Begrik Attaka."_

Three bursts of two shots sounded, perfectly in sync. As a matter of fact, it was nearly impossible to define one shot from another, so well timed was the attack. Each burst found its target, the solar-energy rounds igniting the fallen rebels bodies and turning them into torches that illuminated their fallen comrades. More shots, more kills. Edge smiled beneath his helmet as he surveyed the damage done to the rebel base. He had trained his men well.

More rebels awoke within their quarters, rushing to put on armour and grab weapons before their unseen attackers came after them. They needn't have bothered. Two four-man kill teams of Queen's Guard infantry blasted into the rooms, breaching charges making short work of thin metal bulkheads. More shots rang out, and more rebels died.

A burst of machine gun fire marked the death of two Queens Guard operators, but its wielder went down with a throwing knife in his throat, the now legendary Exo Hunter, Smoke, seemingly materializing from the shadows to eliminate the gunner. The Devil You Know fired a single round, dropping another black and red armoured rebel, and then Smoke was gone again, like an avenging spirit of war.

Mark was firing away with Payback SOS, dropping rebel after rebel with a hail of bullets. Shots flew past him, but the orange and white armoured Titan cared little for the efforts of his foes. A rebel rushed him with a knife and he caught his hand, twisting viscously and breaking his wrist, bringing his other hand around, the clenched fist wreathed in crackling arc energy. The punch put the rebel onto the ground, now missing his head. Mark picked up Payback SOS, and resumed firing.

Efrideet's Spear fired once, and a rebel fell to the ground. Zeren looked up from the scope to scan the building, seeing nothing but shadows and fire. Then, he saw her. She was running perpendicular to the wall, a silhouette cast by the fires of the battle. Her face was unmarked and youthful, she couldn't have been beyond the age of twenty. Her hands were shaking, and her face was a mask of fear. Her armour was red and black, the colours of the rebellion.

Zeren pulled the trigger.

 **()()()**

"Primus! Primus!" The Legionary shouted, sprinting through the main door into the command center aboard _Dun Marchall's Gaunt_. "This just came in from our fleetbase on Phobos!"

"Be calm, Legionary." Cabal Primus Kallus Thro'sern said, turning. "What is it our esteemed brothers of the Sky Burners have to say?"

"It's all in here." The Legionary handed his commander a data-chip, which Kallus proceeded to insert into the primary processing unit. The primary vid-screen lit up immediately, and a vision of hell itself was revealed to the bridge-crew of _Dun Marchall's Gaunt_.

 **()()()**

" _Reroute Squad Tril to the primary hangar!" The gruff voice of Bracus Tan'auk was easily recognizable, even through the static-filled audio. It was curt, to the point and generally the voice of a man who had led his men through decades of hell. "We need to show these glowing bastards how the Cabal fight!"_

 _The soldier on screen was even larger than the Cabal typically were, the tops his own soldiers' heads barely reaching his shoulders. In his hands was a Projection Rifle, the barrel wreathed in solar-flames. His armour was the sky-blue of the esteemed Sky Burners detachment, and his helmet bore the crest typical of that unit._

 _The camera panned over, where there were three other soldiers with him. Two were Legionaries, firing rapidly at a target outside of the field of view. The remaining soldier was a Phalanx, who was rapidly bleeding out from dozens of wounds on his person while he was leaned against the wall. His Slug Rifle still blazed away in his hand, however, in the same general direction as the two Legionaries._

" _Bracus, our forces have been torn apart!" The trooper whose helmet-cam this was all being shown through protested. "There is no Squad Tril, there's only disorganized soldiers!"_

" _Then where in Kyron's name is Primus Ta'aun!" Tan'auk replied, before whirling around and firing his Projection Rifle one-handed. The weapon fired its burst of three explosive rounds, which Tan'auk paced evenly across the hall. The camera whirled towards where the Bracus had fired, revealing his target to the audience._

 _Glowing black silhouettes of what appeared to be Vex slowly marched down the corridor, outlined in a pale green. The weapons in their hands fired far quicker than the typical Vex Slap Rifle, shooting bursts of four rounds at a high pace. Behind them stood a similar outline of a Fallen Vandal, who was projecting a green and black energy bubble that Slug rounds pinged off of like rain._

 _Then a Slap rifle struck the camera and, by extension, the head of the Cabal operating the machine. And everything went black._

 **()()()**

"No…" Erik breathed as the latest reports came in. More and more casualties were reported as this strange new foe invaded Phobos, home of the Cabal's primary fleetbase. "No, this isn't happening…"

The Sky Burners leader, Primus Ta'aun, had hurled his flagship into the maw of the massive ship deploying these strange creatures, and now the entire detachment, with the exception of a handful of security personnel still defending Phobos, was engaged in a guerrilla war within the enemy flagship. The Ice Reapers, who had been so terrifyingly powerful with the Psion Flayers by their side, had been decimated, one in every ten men killed within a few hours of combat.

"I'm sorry, Erik." The Queen said, placing a hand on his shoulder. He turned his gaze away from the viewscreen and towards the monarch's face. She looked as mournful as he felt, and Erik placed his head in his hands.

"The Sky Burners are practically gone, the Fire Blades are a disorganized mob and these damn things won't stop coming!" Erik said, unit names appearing and disappearing on the screen. He put a hand to his ear. "Mar'auth, redeploy the Silver Guard's first division to Phobos, protect the destroyers!" A gruff affirmative sounded over the comms. Erik kept talking. "Tor'ith, get the Bloody Hands to stop throwing their Legionaries at these things and deploy some fucking Colossi, Primus Ar'akkus's honour be damned!" More voices sounded over the comms. "Fai'zor, I don't care what Valus Mak'aidos thinks about your mother, tell him to get those damn things off Kall'annas's tanks!"

"Marchall, this is Valus Mar'annos!" A voice sounded over the screen's main speaker. "These things are ripping Van'orrin's drop-troops to pieces!"

"Then tell Van'orrin to use his fucking brain and call in an orbital bombardment from a frigate!" Erik yelled. "And tell Mak'aidos that if his Psions don't deploy in the next two minutes, I'll hang his ribcage off the front of _Dun Marchall's Gaunt_!"

" _Marchall_!" There was Akanda, charging into the room fully armed. "Smoke has gone!"

"Where?" Erik asked, whirling around.

"He has taken _Der Imperator's Magna_ and set course to Mars!" Akanda reported, saluting. "Edge is requesting permission to take his Pathfinders and redeploy to Phobos!"

"Tell Edge to take _Mannak's Ragnen_ , and to travel with all haste!" Erik said, before returning to ordering his infantry around. "Ar'akkus, deploy a damn skirmish line and maybe you won't lose any more limbs! Kal'annas, hold your ground, the Iron Titans are redeploying to your position. Stay with me!"

 **()()()**

"Valus, these damn things refuse to die!" Centurion An'arik called, her slug rifle blazing away in her hands as her squad died beneath the enemy guns. "We must have killed a hundred of the bastards, and still they come!"

"Hold your ground, Centurion!" Valus On'unis replied, his twin projection rifles ripping apart enemies in hails of glowing orange projectiles. "We are Stone Walkers, we will endure!"

The battlefield of Taken and Cabal was a madhouse of glowing projectiles, where grey and yellow armoured Legionaries traded fire with what seemed to be silhouettes of Vex, Fallen and Hive enemies, who hurled blasts of energy and grenades that exploded into a gas that could kill even a Colossus if they were exposed for long enough.

"Here come more of them!" A Legionary warned, firing a burst of three rounds at another foe.

"Watch out for the Vex shots, they're not void!" A Phalanx called, his shield reporting said information to him the moment the round struck him. "The damn things fluctuate between solar and void!"

"Medic!" Another Legionary called as his squadmate went down from a hail of blue energy rounds.

The horrifying, mutated form of a Fallen Captain charged a fireteam of three Legionaries, who fired rapidly in a desperate attempt to kill it before it cut them down with its swords. It was then ripped apart by a Colossus' machine gun. Said Colossus was quickly surrounded by what looked like Hive Thralls, which were sent flying when the seismic reactors in the Colossus' boot were triggered with a stomp.

The Valus continued to pour explosive projectiles into the enemy horde, snarling when he heard the infamous _chunk_ of an empty clip of shots. He reloaded the rifles one by one, as Centurion An'arik covered him with her modified slug rifle. A grenade exploded right behind her, however, and she was sent flying forwards, slamming onto the ground before On'unis. The Valus blasted apart a Taken Dreg that got too close and pulled An'arik's unconscious form away from the frontlines.

" _These damn things had better stop coming soon, or we're doomed."_ He thought grimly, as the shattered corpse of a Legionary landed beside him, blasted off his perch by a hail of purple Hive rounds.

 **()()()**

 _Crack._

The shattering of the sound barrier marked the death of another one of the strange creatures' deaths. The round was perfectly placed, dropping the silhouette of a Fallen Vandal with a round between its eyes. A second shot dropped a Dreg, and a third threw the silhouette of a Vex Hobgoblin off of its perch and onto the floor, where it was crushed beneath the booted feet of Cabal Legionaries.

The Cabal's counterattack had finally begun, and it was effective, to say the least.

Legionaries of the Blood Bearers and Fire Blades marched shoulder to shoulder, slug rifles crackling in perfectly synchronized volleys, as Psions darted to and fro in front of them, a shining example of a skirmishing line. Projection rifle rounds blasted apart foes as Phalanxes drove back even the most determined of the enemy melee soldiers. A Tormented Fallen captain charged with four blades, but was surrounded and ripped apart by five of the shield bearing Cabal, while a Colossus crushed another captain beneath a plasteel boot. Missiles decorated the skies of Phobos, wreaking bloody havoc amidst pack ranks of Goblins and Thralls.

"Bracus Ma'teo, hold your ground until Bracus Ga'ruk brings Fire Blade reinforcements!" Primus Va'tor called, his voice a roar over the din of battle. The commander of the Blood Bearers was renowned for the sheer volume at which he could shout orders, and it was rumored he had once sent an entire Hive swarm fleeing with naught but a word.

Of course, such legends persisted all across the Cabal armies. Had all of them been true, outsiders hearing them would have thought the Cabal to be gods of war given flesh, who took up arms for no reason but the glory of battle. Of course, many were true, if exaggerated. Va'tor had not sent a Hive swarm fleeing of course.

He had only terrified them into immobility.

Smoke continuously appeared from thin air, slaughtering dozens of the silhouette creatures, called 'Taken' by the Cabal and Guardians alike, and then disappeared, taking his fearsome presence with him to go and slay more foes. Beneath the cowl of his green cloak metal plates shifted as he smiled, his blue eyes flashing red periodically.

Today, he decided, was a good day to kill.

 **()()()()()**

 **Well, I hope this (somewhat) larger update was satisfying. Again, sorry for disappearing for so long, but real life fragging blows. Although, at least I'm not cursed with undeath.**


	5. Chapter 4

A Game of Rulers

 **Chapter Four: Gods and Generals (and Queens and Kells and Princes, Oh My!)**

 **Well, thanks to The Crimson Commando (salutes) and Bladed Raptor for the reviews, and welcome back to A Game of Rulers, where political intrigue, all out war and heroic sacrifices all combine in a combination so explosive it has been outlawed in every state except Texas.**

 **()()()()()**

" _Medlems skydda mig och min släkt från krigets fasor._ " Erik said.

"Pardon, _Marchall_?" Kallus said, presumably performing the Cabal equivilant of raising an eyebrow beneath his helmet. "I fear I misheard you."

"The Traveller protect me and my kin from the horrors of war." Erik repeated, translating. "I spoke in the Earthen language called _Svenska_ , or Swedish."

"Ah, it is your mother tongue?" Kallus asked.

"Yes. I was born in Sweden in my life before." Erik explained. "I died when the Fallen House of Blades invaded on my twenty-fifth birthday. I was shot by a Captain after he slaughtered my squad."

Kallus nodded. "Sweden is a northern nation, is it not?"

"How'd you guess?" Erik asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Your skin is pale, and certainly not from wearing your armour too often. I rarely see your helmet anywhere, let alone on your head." Kallus explained. "Though you keep your hair short, it is clearly a sandy colour, typical of northerners of your people.

"You're very observant, you know that?" Erik remarked, grinning. "Makes me wonder why you're not running this gig instead of me."

"Likely because I didn't slay a Valus, a Primus and Kyron knows how many Bracus's before blasting my way aboard the Cabal command tank, killing its commanding officer and the entirety of said commanding officers retinue before assuming direct control of the army." Kallus listed curtly. "But that's just an educated guess."

"Point taken." Erik replied, after a moment's consideration.

At that moment, the communication line to ' _Der Imperators Gaunt'_ , the command ship of Primus Ta'aun of the Sky Burners, opened up.

"...any... recieving... numbered... heavy resistance... Ta'aun... gone... losing... repeat... Ta'aun gone missing, requesting... orders..." The signal turned to static, then fell silent once more.

"Dammit!" Erik yelled, running over to the primary console. "Saddurik, reconnect to the previous signal, maximum strength!"

"Yes, _Marchall_." The Psion communications officer replied, tapping away at his console. After several moments, he looked up. "There's nothing sir, not even an empty line. It's like the entire network cuts off once you reach the warship."

"Then get me _Dun Admirallens Gaunt_ and the full strength of the second fleet. Kallus, you have command while I'm gone." Erik said, turning and striding out.

"Where are you going, _Marchall_?" Kallus asked, following his general.

Erik turned. "To get my damn people back."

 **()()()**

Four warriors stood in the room as he entered.

One was clad in the armour of a Hunter, the Cloak of Exile reaching the backs of his knees partially concealing an enormous blade slung across his back. The infamous Sol Edge. The man's face was locked in a perpetual frown, it seemed, and his hair was a raven black. His chestpiece was clearly the mighty Lucky Raspberry, lovingly shined and buffed so that each nick and gouge on its surface was plain as day. There were only four.

Another was clad in the armour of a Titan, the borderline mythical Crest of Alpha Lupi on his chest as the Honour of Cormorant hung from his right hip. Slung across his back was the mighty shotgun called Four Horsemen. The names of all four of the mythical icons engraved lovingly on each of the four barrels, one per barrel.

The third of their group was clad in the flowing robes of a warlock, the mark called Forgotten Force crackling with hidden power as it ringed her upper arm. The Apotheosis Veil sat upon her head, the blue visor revealing none of her emotions. Upon her back sat the Thunderlord, the Exotic-ranked machine gun that so many had fought to find and claim. Evidently, she had beaten them to the prize.

The final member of this little band stood taller than all the others, the Exotic Immolation Fists covering his arms in what appeared to be either grenades or fuel canisters. His chosen weapon was evidently the rocket launcher slung over his shoulder, which was gilded with gold and ivory. Gjallahorn. The Exotic-Grade rocket launcher, that which men had fought and died over for generations.

The man who had just entered was quite clearly a Warlock, thanks to his robes, the set called Manifold Seeker, created for the purpose of studying the Vex, supposedly. On his hip was the hand cannon called Hawkmoon, and his entire being practically glowed purple. Clearly a Voidwalker, the others in the room surmised.

"Welcome, my friends. It is disappointing that out sixth associate failed to arrive, but she has been a bit preoccupied as of late, so it is understandable." The man, clearly an Exo judging by his voice, said, smiling. "Perchance we might begin now?"

"Get to the point, Dominion." The Asian-looking Hunter said, his frown turning to a scowl. "I didn't leave Venus to listen to a Voidwalker chatter about things that don't matter to me."

"I agree with Harune." The enormous Titan said, cracking his knuckles. "I have a blade to finish and an apprentice to train."

"Very well then." The warlock apparently called Dominion sighed. "We need to go and kill a god."

The warlock wearing the Apotheosis Veil laughed. "May as well steal Erik's line's right off the bat." She said. "What's next, telling us we'll be filling it with bullets before punching it? Because I know Harune doesn't use throwing knives, and I'm not very good at shouting encouragement."

"Well, I see someone was paying attention." Dominion replied, grinning. "Allisandra, I see you've upgraded since we last met."

"Just a bit, Mikael." Allisandra replied. "I was a bit busy learning how to control electricity and meditating in the midst of a lightning storm, before retrieving the best equipment possible. I trust the god we're talking about is this Oryx fellow, right?"

"Precisely." Dominion nodded. "The Taken King, as the Vanguard has dubbed him."

"So, how're we gonna do it?" The Titan wearing the Immolation Fists asked. "If he's aboard that dreadnaught, we aren't getting anywhere near him."

That was when Cayde-6 entered the room. "I have a solution to that problem, Guardians."

"Cayde." Harune nodded. "It's been a while."

"Harune?" Cayde asked. "I haven't seen you since you decided to become the Samurai of Venus, or whatever they call you now."

"Shogun of Venus, now." Harune corrected. "We're almost ready to attack the Vault full force, but this came up first."

"Then by all means, lets get this over with, and then we can go shatter some glass." Cayde said, before turning to the rest of the Guardians present. "Well, boys... and girl," He corrected himself, nodding to Allisandra. "as Dominion so said, it's time to go kill a god."

"You said you had a way to the Dreadnaught." The enormous Titan said.

"Yep. We're gonna steal Eris' ship, stick you kids inside, then fly full speed at the ship." Cayde replied.

"Why Eris' ship?" Allisandra asked. "We've all got good Jumpships."

"Because it's the only ship we have that smells like Hive." Cayde explained. "With luck, it'll trick the dreadnaughts defenses into not shooting long enough for you to get aboard."

"We have any viable entry points?" The Titan wearing the Honour of Cormorant asked.

"Well, you know, there is an enormous gaping hole where one of Erik's Cabal warships body slammed the thing." Cayde said. "I figured that would be usable."

"Why did Erik order one of his ships to ram the dreadnaught?" Harune asked. "From what I've heard of the man, he's the sort to avoid casualties at all costs."

"It wasn't him that gave the order." Allisandra interjected. "Erik would never throw away lives like that."

"Good thing it wasn't him then, or you'd be very wrong." Cayde said. "It was one of his commanders."

"Wait, there are people in the food chain higher up than Erik?" Dominion asked. "I thought he was a general... oh no."

"Exactly." Cayde said, confirming the Exo's suspicions and fears. "The Emperor of the Cabal Empire himself gave the order. And the signal wasn't that far away, either."

There was silence for several moments, before it was broken by Dominion.

"Well..." He began. "Shit."

 **()()()**

"Coming in from the right!" Mark called, opening up with his auto rifle.

Two red and black armoured rebels went down, but a third lobbed a grenade towards the squad of Queen's Guard Commandos, who all scattered. One was caught in the blast wave, however, and riddled with shrapnel. The remaining four raised various weapons and returned fire, scout rifles apparently being the order of the day. Two more rebels fell, but one managed to nail a Commando with a well placed pulse rifle burst, knocking her to the floor with three bleeding holes in her helmet.

Zeren snapped off another round from Efrideet's Spear, putting a rebel on the ground with a hole the size of a nickel in his forehead and an exit wound the size of a baseball in the back of his head. A shot pinged off a bulkhead near him, and he ducked back into cover, cursing quietly. He holstered Efrideet's Spear to draw Merciful, the purple and green weapon feeling perfect in his hand. He cocked the hand cannon, smiled beneath the heavy black scarf he wore, and then vaulted over the half-wall he hid behind.

Mark turned his head to see the Queen's Guard Commander charging the rebel squad, before cursing under his breath. He conjured his flashbang grenade in his hand, before throwing it with all his strength towards the rebel fortification. He followed up with a wall of auto rifle rounds, roaring in rage all the while.

Zeren leapt over the barricade feet first, just after the Guardian's flashbang went off. He roared in a killing fury as he dropped two rebels with Merciful, a quick throwing knife easily ridding him of the third as it buried itself in the rebel's throat. A ducked a fourth's punch before driving a knife between her ribs, swapping Merciful to his left hand and firing twice into another's abdomen.

Mark rose from his cover when the enemy fire ceased, looking to see the Queen's Guard Commander standing amidst five dead bodies. He walked towards the man, seeing him wiping sweat from his brow. Mark removed his helmet, taking a deep breath of the recycled oxygen of Freelanders Watch.

"Good show there, Awoken." He said, nodding to the man.

"And the same to you, Guardian." The Awoken replied. "I am Zeren. What is your name?"

"Mark." Mark answered. "Mark Berenik."

"Well, Mark Berenike," Zeren replied, pulling down his scarf to reveal his smile. "I believe this is the beginning of a wondrous partnership."

Mark believed so as well.

 **()()()()()**

 **Well, more character introductions, and hopefully the beginning of several wonderful things. You know, when I started this, I thought I'd put just over ten chapters into it, but screw it, this plot is going places I didn't even expect, thanks to outside influences. So yeah, this may go on longer than I expected. Anyhow, thanks for reading, and stay tuned, because;**

 **Next time, on A Game of Rulers:**

"Get _Dun Admirallen's Gaunt_ on an intercept course! All power to thrusters and shields!" Erik roared, gripping the guardrail on his command dias so hard the metal was crumpling beneath his hands. "I want the full force of that cannon on us!"

 **()**

"You've got to be kidding me!" Dominion yelled, twisting Eris' ship in a manouevre that would have sent the Halliday into a conniption fit. "How do these things know we're not Hive!"

"I don't think we smell bad enough!" Allisandra called in reply.

 **()**

"There is no way that position can be held." Smoke argued, only for the grey-armoured Cabal to chuckle in a rich baritone.

"My friend, that is exactly what the _Psykra_ thought about the Stone Walkers last in time." He replied.

 **()()(/Signal Lost/)()()**


	6. Chapter 5

A Game Of Rulers

 **Chapter Five: A Hero's End, They Said**

 **So, welcome back to A Game of Rulers, where death is a dime a dozen and nobody knows how long their life might last. Especially me, considering my internal muse is an asshole and never sticks to my pre-ordained plot.**

 **Anyhow, let's go.**

 **()()()()()**

"Incredible…" Kornick said, looking out over the vast wall of ships. "The fleets of the Cabal and Awoken, the most powerful in the system, united."

It was a beautiful sight, Erik supposed, despite his lackluster knowledge of naval warfare in space. The enormous, boxy battleships of the Cabal flying beside the sleek and streamlined Awoken cruisers was a sight to behold. Purple and yellow blended with red and ivory, in a cacophony of colour that made a stark contrast to the black darkness of space.

" _Erik, this is Mara."_ The Queen's voice crackled into Erik's ear. _"Are your ships in position?"_

"We're as ready as we'll ever be, my lady." Erik confirmed. "Boarding parties are loaded aboard their Harvesters, and our Interceptors are prepped for launch. All weapons are loaded and ready, and Churchill's supercharged my light production so I'll be popping grenades like popcorn."

" _Good to hear."_ The Queen replied. _"But stop calling me 'my lady'. It makes me feel old."_

"You're a Queen, ma'am." Erik said.

" _And you're a General, but you don't hear me calling you 'sir' twenty-four-seven."_ Mara replied.

"Fine, **Mara**." Erik sighed, rolling his eyes. "Let's get this show on the road. Is The Raven ready to deploy his Crows?"

" _Yes, Uldren and his Crows are ready. I really wish you would stop calling him that, though."_ Mara replied.

"Why? Ravens are awesome!" Erik protested. "They're some of the smartest birds in existence!"

" _He thinks you are comparing him to a chicken."_ Mara explained.

"Oh." Erik pondered on that for a moment. "At least I don't call him Rooster."

He heard her laugh at that, and his heart skipped a beat. He frowned at his heart for that. He was here to fight a war, not get fall in love. He thought about the Queen for a moment. He was definitely attracted to her, that was plain as day, but was it mutual?

' _Fuck it.'_ He decided. _'If this works, I'm asking her out for a night. Maybe show her the Cabal cavern cities, or take her to the Tower Bar. Yeah, that'd be nice.'_

He could practically hear Josh chuckling at him for that. He told Josh to shut up and let him get on with warfare and love. Then he couldn't help but feel a moment of shame. He already had a girlfriend, for the Traveler's sake! She was living in his head, (Traveler, like **that** didn't make him sound insane AND lonely) but still!

' _Fantastic.'_ Erik thought. _'This'll make for a great dream tonight. You know, if I get to fall asleep tonight. Or ever again.'_

His ponderings were interrupted by the feeling of his warship shifting beneath his feet as it increased its pace.

"Kornick, you have the deck!" He called, turning to leave. "Get us as close to that Dreadnaught as you can!"

' _Let's go crack some skulls.'_ Erik thought, smiling. _'Then I can worry about my love life.'_

 **()()()**

"Um…" Dominion said, looking at the viewscreen. "Those aren't supposed to be there."

"What aren't…" Harune asked, pushing past Jason to look through the viewscreen as well, causing the Titan to quietly protest. "Oh."

The five Guardians were looking at a very big battle, taking place between Cabal, Awoken and Hive ships. Explosions and fire burned brightly for seconds, before being extinguished by the vacuum of space. Interceptors darted back and forth making missile and torpedo strikes, even as enormous Cabal warships fired broadsides at the rectangular Hive ships. The Dreadnaught was there, for sure, dwarfing even the Cabal flagship everyone knew Erik must be aboard.

"How the hell am I supposed to fly through that?!" Dominion asked. "Everything'll be shooting at us!"

"Just go straight and pray nobody sees us." Allisandra replied. "The Cabal and Awoken will think we're Hive, and we don't know if this thing's stealth drive works."

" _My stealth drive will work fine!"_ Cayde protested over comms.

"We don't know that yet." Jason replied, checking Four Horsemen for the fifth time in the past ten minutes.

" _Kids these days,"_ Cayde could be heard muttering. _"No trust, no respect for their elders."_

"Cayde, I will put money on my being older than you." Krasimir chuckled, cracking his knuckles. "I used to fight Nazis in Stalingrad. Sorry, Leningrad. Forgot they changed it again."

"Either way, I say we floor it." Jason said, shrugging. "We go fast enough, nothing'll be able to hit us."

"I don't know…" Dominion said. "The chances we'll collide with something are worryingly high."

"Then take it slow, activate the stealth drive, and fly." Allisandra said. "We need to get going."

Their progress was slow, for sure. Having to dodge anything and everything was irritating, Dominion complained, and was slowing them down. Harune asked why they couldn't just call Erik to get themselves marked as friendly, and Allisandra had to explain the embarrassing fact that they didn't actually know how to contact Erik's new Cabal communications system. Krasimir kept asking if they were there yet, much to Jason's annoyance, and Cayde continuously made wisecracks from the safety of the Tower.

Then they finally neared the Dreadnaught, they realized something was happening. The Dreadnaught was slowly turning so its side was presented to the amassed Cabal/Awoken fleet. On the side it was presenting was a large circle, with two lines extending from it across the length of the hull.

"What is that?" Harune asked, frowning.

"I dunno." Dominion replied. "Looks like some kind of viewport, maybe?"

"I don't think that's a…" Allisandra was cut off by the sight of a purple ball of energy flying past the primary viewport. "We're taking fire!"

"Oh no." Dominion said. "Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh Traveler no."

"The stealth drive has failed." Victor, Dominion's purple-shelled Ghost, reported.

" _Did you guys just break my stealth drive?"_ Cayde asked.

"Cayde, I swear, if you call it 'your' stealth drive one more time I will punch you in the throat when we get back." Dominion said, before wrenching hard on the control stick. "Hold on kids, this isn't gonna be fun!"

 **()()()**

Smoke looked out over the scorched wasteland of Phobos, covered in craters from artillery and orbital strikes, and liberally coated in the corpses of Cabal soldiers. All of them wore the sky-blue of the Sky Burners, and he heard a quiet curse from the Primus beside him. Amidst the corpses were scattered groups of dozens of Taken, which seemed to be looking over the Cabal corpses.

"Well, this is going to be interesting." The Exo remarked, drawing The Devil You Know. "I count well into the thousands."

"We will hold them at the foot of the hill, draw them into a crossfire, then call for an orbital strike." Primus Bo'ros said. "It will be simplicity itself."

"There is no way that position can be held." Smoke argued, only for the grey-armoured Cabal to chuckle in a rich baritone.

"My friend, that is exactly what the _Psykra_ thought about the Stone Walkers last time." He replied.

 **()()()**

"What is that thing?" Erik asked, looking at it through the vidscreen inside his Harvester.

" _We don't know yet, Marchall."_ Kornick replied. _"We are reading immense energy signatures radiating from it, however, like it's charging for something."_

"Why would it be…" Erik froze, the revelation coming to him instantly. "Churchill, transmit me to the bridge."

" _On it."_ The faintly British voice of his Ghost replied.

Then Erik was on his command pedestal, looking over his crew once more.

"All units, return to your carrier ships. All ships that have deployed from _Dun Admirallen's Gaunt_ , initiate FTL jump to Phobos." He yelled, his voice transmitting to every ship in the allied fleet. "That thing is a weapon!"

" _Erik, what are you doing?"_ Mara asked him over the comms, her voice confused.

"Saving this fleet." He replied, turning to Kornick.

"What is it, _Marchall_?" The Cabal Fleetmaster asked.

"Get _Dun Admirallen's Gaunt_ on an intercept course! All power to thrusters and shields!" Erik roared, gripping the guardrail on his command dias so hard the metal was crumpling beneath his hands. "I want the full force of that cannon on us!"

" _Marchall_ , this maneuver will likely destroy the ship." Kornick warned.

"Better one ship than the whole fleet." Erik replied. "Now, full speed ahead!"

 **()()()**

"You've got to be kidding me!" Dominion yelled, twisting Eris's ship in a maneuver that would have sent Halliday into a conniption fit. "How do these things know we're not Hive?!"

"I don't think we smell bad enough!" Alissandra called in reply.

"Hey, I showered this morning!" Krasimir yelled indignantly.

"Not the point, Kras!" Jason called, gripping his handgrip with fingers like a vice.

The ship zipped between retreating Cabal and Fallen interceptors and dropships, as well as dodging the purple blasts of Hive anti-ship fire. Eris's ship's hull groaned from the stress of the maneuvers it was being put through, and Harune was turning a rather lovely shade of green.

"Feeling okay, Shogun?" Krasimir asked, looking over at his companion.

"No…" Harune groaned.

"I could have sworn this damn thing had weapons!" Dominion yelled, twisting upwards, away from a blast of Void energy.

" _Yeah, uh, we had to remove those."_ Cayde admitted sheepishly. _"So we could fit my stealth drive."_

"I hate all of you…" Harune moaned. "I will end you once we get off this hell-machine and back on the sweet, sweet ground."

"That might not take as long as you think." Allisandra said. "We're almost there!"

" _Remember your objectives. Get aboard that thing, find this 'Oryx', and kill the hell out of him."_ Cayde reminded them. _"Focus on getting aboard for now, though then-"_

Krasimir cracked his knuckles, laughing. "And then there will be battle!" The Russian man bellowed.

" _And then there will be battle."_ Cayde said. _"Now go kick ass, Guardians."_

"Aye aye, Cayde." Jason said, nodding. "We will."

 **()()()**

"Keep firing!" Bo'ros roared, his own slug rifle firing rapidly in his hands. "Do not stop until they are all dead!"

"YES, PRIMUS!" The Stone-Walkers called in reply, their furious defense of the foot of the hill increasing.

The Taken were failing to gain even an inch. Every assault was met with a screaming hail of slug and projection rifle rounds, that even the most hardy of the Taken were falling to the sheer weight of fire upon them.

A Taken Minotaur charged forwards only to be met with a roaring hail of projection rifle rounds that ripped its shields, and then its body, to pieces. Every few minutes, a terrifying screeching heralded an orbital bombardment that ripped apart hundreds of Taken in moments.

Yes, the Stone Walkers were holding the line, and holding it well, Smoke thought. The question was, how much longer would he be stuck here, with nothing to kill?

It was then his Ghost, Hush, received a message.

 _Come quickly._ It read. _We have a problem, and need an assassin._

It was from Mark.

Smoke was in orbit less than five minutes later.

 **()()()**

' _So this how it all ends.'_ Erik thought, as _Dun Admirallen's Gaunt_ rushed towards certain destruction. _'With a bang.'_

" _Marchall_ , we are ready to ram the weapon." Kornick said.

Erik took a deep breath. He knew he was consigning hundreds to their deaths, and he hated it. "Do it." He said.

Kornick flipped several switches, and he knew his voice would now be heard in every Cabal and Guardian controlled place, every city, every trench, every bunker, every tank, ship or APC.

" _Men and women of the Cabal,"_ He began. _"This is Marchall Erik Ta'aurc, general of the Cabal's Seventh Expansion Group. I am about to die."_

He knew that would have brought about gasps of shock from every single one of his subjects.

" _The King of the Hive is too powerful, his fleet too mighty. Dun Admirallen's Gaunt and her crew will soon sacrifice themselves to stop this threat."_ Erik continued. He knew his voice would be heard in the Awoken cities as well, Mara had assured him of that. _"But know this, Cabal, City-folk and Awoken alike. Even when I die, we will continue. Men, women and Exos of the Guardian corps, support your factions. The New Monarchy will give you the government you need, the Dead Orbit the fleet you need, the Future War Cult will give you the army you need, and the Vanguard will buy you the time you need._

" _Awoken, hold fast against those who would rebel against your rightful queen, and stand firm in the face of your oncoming trials. War is coming, greater than it ever has been, and you will need all your strength to fight through it. Fight hard, fight well, and your people will endure._

" _My brothers and sisters of the Cabal, stand firm once I am gone. I hereby grant the title of 'Marchall' to Primus Kallus. He will lead you into your golden age, that which I had hoped to see. Remember the sacrifice we have made, and mark this day in history, for it will be the day it was the Cabal, not the Guardians or Awoken, who gave their lives to save the solar system. This is the day where we will be remembered as heroes, instead of monsters._

" _Farewell, my friends. I will remember you all in the afterlife, whether I become one with the Traveler, or spend eternity feasting and warring in Kyron's halls. Live, my friends, and live well."_

And with that, Erik closed his communications link with the network.

" _Erik, what are you doing?!"_ Mara cried over their private comm lines.

"Ensuring the survival of our fleets." Erik replied.

" _Why?"_ She asked. _"Why can't you run with us?"_

"This bastard has to be stopped, and _Dun Admirallen's Gaunt_ is the only ship big enough to do that." Erik said. "We both knew this would have to be done, Mara."

"…" She was silent at that.

"Mara," Erik began. "I don't want to do this. I want there to be another way. I want to live my life to the full, and I want to spend it with someone else, but this is the only way. If I had another option, I would choose it. But there is no other way."

" _I love you."_ Mara said. _"There it is, dammit. I love you, and I want you to live. Don't do this!"_

"But that's why I have to do this." Erik said. "If I have to die to ensure you and your people live, then so be it. I will give my life happy."

" _Don't leave me!"_ She was sobbing now, and he knew tears would be running down her brilliant purple skin.

"I…" He faltered. Tears came to his own eyes. He took a deep breath, and continued. "I love you too, Mara, but it can't be. Alice gave her life for me, and I can't do this to her. Maybe in another life…" He had to take another deep breath. "But not this one."

He looked down, then up. Proximity alarms were blaring all along the command deck now, warning them of the dangers of their current course.

"WARNING: IMPACT INEVITABLE. WARNING: IMPACT INEVITABLE." The ship's onboard VI was warning them. "ESTIMATED TIME OF IMPACT: THIRTY SECONDS."

"Goodbye, Mara Sov, Queen of the Awoken. I loved you, but could not be with you." Erik was smiling now, but his heart was heavy. "Live long, and live well."

And then the thirty seconds was up, and his world became fire and death.

 **()()()**

"No!" Mara Sov cried as Erik died.

She knew he was doomed, and so had he. His ship had been moving at full speed, and had lowered its shields at the last possible second. The Dreadnaught would be heavily damaged, but Erik and his ship would be gone.

It was more than she could bear. She fell to her knees, sobbing into her hands as her lieutenants looked on in confusion or understanding. Variks the Loyal, one of the few Fallen who still served her, placed his upper right arm around her as he crouched down.

"Be calm, my Queen." He said gently, as she continued to cry openly. "Be calm and be strong. You heard the General. Live well, he said."

But even one of her closest friends couldn't console the Queen, who continued to sob, as Variks held her close.

 **()()()**

"HOLY SHIT!" Dominion yelled, as the Cabal warship collided with the Dreadnaught.

The results were spectacular. The sheer force of the ship's impact tore a gaping hole in the Dreadnaught's hull, and the following explosion ripped apart even more of the enormous ship. The mere backwash of the explosion incinerated one of the closest Hive ships, and Dominion aimed for the still flaming hole in the Dreadnaught.

"What are you doing?" Harune demanded, his nausea forgotten in the excitement of the moment.

"Getting us deeper in the ship, like the plan demanded!" Dominion replied.

Meanwhile, Allisandra was frozen in shock.

"He… he just…" She stuttered. "Erik just… died."

Krasimir slung an arm around her shoulders. "Aye, that's what it looks like." He agreed. "But if I know Erik half as well as I think I do, he'll endure it and come out even stronger."

Whether he was right or wrong, only time would tell.

 **()()()()()**

 **Well, that's another one down! And of course, in classical Forossa style, I've left you with someone possibly being dead.**

 **Tee hee.**


	7. Chapter 6

A Game of Rulers

 **Chapter Six: The Madman and the Shogun**

 **()()()()()**

"This is such bullshit." The Awoken soldier complained. "I should be relaxing in my quarters, or at a bar, or something. Instead, I get double shift."

"Quit your whining, Kadren." His partner replied. "I'm not spending my entire patrol hearing you bitch and moan about how your job is bullshit."

"But it is!" Kadren continued, heedless of his companion's protest. "I fall asleep on guard duty ONCE, and they throw me out here to pull a double patrol shift."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have fallen asleep in one of the most heavily occupied rebel territories, while you're supposed to be watching for rebels." His partner argued. "It was really freaking stupid of you to do."

"Well… it's still bullshit." Kadren said, frowning.

"Oh for the love of…" The irritated Awoken was interrupted by a loud clanging emerging from an alley to their right.

"What was that?" Kadren asked, jumping.

"I dunno." The other soldier replied. "Go check it out."

"Fine." Kadren sighed, pulling the safety on his scout rifle.

The Awoken soldier disappeared from sight once he entered the alley, the darkness seemingly swallowing him whole. Then there was a voice of confusion, the pitch rising to terror, and then a gunshot, and then silence.

Kadren's partner was quick to pull the safety on his rifle, before raising it to point at the alley's mouth. His left hand came up to his ear.

"This is Operator Rowan, Operator Kadren is down, repeat, Operator Kadren is-" He was cut off by another shot, the bullet ripping through his left eye socket and bringing a piece of his skull the size of a quarter out of the back.

"Operator Kadren is very much dead." A different man, very much not Kadren, said, emerging from the shadows. "And now you are too."

"Who the hell are you?!" Rowan asked,

"I am known by many different names." The man said. "Alek, Ziro, Karrin, Vorrin. Of course, most call me Psycho."

"Oh, fuck." Rowan muttered. "You're that gun-for-hire, aren't you?"

"Precisely." Psycho replied, bowing ironically. "Psycho, Assassin of the Reef, at your service. Or, I would be, were I not already under contract. Rather, I am now your death." The half-insane assassin chuckled. "Very sorry about that."

And then he raised a rifle, pulled the trigger, and Rowan was gone, gone to the dark.

Psycho strode away confidently, the walk of a man without a care of the world. His rifle was over his shoulder whilst he whistled a little tune, looking like a man on the way to meet his beloved, or perhaps the winner of some great bet. Because he was happy.

He had a queen to kill, a gun in his hands and a war to win. What more purpose could a man ask for?

 **()()()**

Harune cut down another Taken Psion, grunting when Sol Edge cut clean through the creatures torso and slammed into the hard floor. The shock jolted up his arms and into his chest. He kicked another in the chest and swung again, splitting it in two, before Jason shoulder slammed another away from him.

"And I thought the Thralls were numerous!" The Traveler's Sword yelled, pumping another round from Four Horsemen.

"What was it Allisandra said before we left? Something about how we were going to regret not having any ranged capabilities?" Harune called back.

"I don't know, but this seems to work fine!" Jason shouted, kicking another Psion to the floor before turning its face into a fine mist with a shotgun blast.

"Speak… for yourself!" Harune grunted, feeling his muscles burning. "I've probably killed thirty of these damned things!"

"And I'm counting into the upper forties!" Jason shouted. "We've gotta be near the end soon!"

"I hope so!" Harune shouted back, rolling away from a Psion's punch before splitting it groin to head with a single upwards slash.

Meanwhile, almost a kilometer away, Krasimir and Allisandra were having even less fun.

"Pogubil, zveri!" Krasimir yelled in his mother tongue, as his fist crashed into a Taken Phalanx's head. "Vse vas bo na koncu!"

"If you're going to yell at these things, can you at least do so in English?" Allisandra asked, Thunderlord roaring away in her hands.

"Fine." Krasimir sighed. "Perish, beasts! I will end you all!" He bellowed, bringing another Phalanx to his knees with a well placed gut punch, before removing the creature's head.

"Never mind then." Allisandra said. "Slovenian sounds a lot more badass."

"Odlicno!" Krasimir roared. "Pripravi se na smrt, usluzbenci teme!"

Allisandra dodged to the right, away from the flying upper half of a Taken Legionary. "Can you please kill them less violently?" She asked. "I can't shoot them if I'm dodging dead bodies!"

"Fine, little girl." Krasimir sighed again. "I will try to be more gentle with our sworn enemies."

"Thank you." The Awoken Warlock muttered, before tearing apart a Taken Thrall in a hail of Arc rounds.

The final member of the formerly five member fireteam was currently sneaking through a small side corridor, cursing beneath his breath at everything he could think of.

"Of all the damn jobs they had to choose me for…" Dominion muttered, shaking his head. Romulus, his legendary hand cannon, sat in his hand while Remus remained holstered at his side.

He ducked behind a wall as another group of Taken Cabal marched by, led by the tormented image of a Centurion. This was the fourth in ten minutes. Were they aware Fireteam Regicide (Cayde had had waaayyy to much fun with that name) contained five members? Kras, Jason and the rest's distraction seemed to be working, but did this Oryx guy know his ship had a fifth unwelcomed Guardian?

The Voidwalker certainly hoped not.

 **()()()**

' _The end grows closer.'_

 **/The end is irrelevant./**

' _So you say now, but what about when the end reaches us, and this world burns?'_

 **/…Processing…fire cannot exist in a vacuum. Statement is inaccurate. Presumed metaphor. Explain?/**

' _ **He is saying that once the end reaches us, we will all perish.'**_

 **/Understood. Metaphor still inaccurate./**

' _ **I despise of you.'**_

 **/Yet you still cannot operate without me./**

' _Both of you, cease your arguing. We are above such petty conflicts.'_

"My masters…"

' _Speak, Xur.'_

"I come bringing news… the General has fallen."

' _ **Yet the King still lives?'**_

"Indeed, my lords."

' _ **I knew he was a waste of time.'**_

 **/How did he die?/**

"He sacrificed himself and his flagship to disable the King's dreadnaught."

' _Brave…'_

' _ **But foolish. He should have attacked with all his strength, wiped the bastard-King off the face of reality.'**_

 **/Agreed. General's demise is a waste of valuable resources./**

' _What were the results of his sacrifice?'_

"He has successfully disabled the King's warship, and preserved the might of the Imperial and Reef-Dweller fleets."

' _This may work in our favour.'_

 **/All calculations point to this action resulting in a weakened chance. Explain./**

' _ **Yes, tell me how this foolish waste was useful.'**_

' _You are too quick to judge. This sacrifice will bolster the Imperial and Awoken morale. He will serve as a martyr, a hero.'_

'…'

 **/…Statement is accurate./**

' _ **It is still a waste.'**_

"My lords, that is not all."

' _Continue.'_

"It appears Or- the King has… Taken the General."

' _ **GRAH!'**_

 **/This is not good./**

' _ **This is terrible! A Guardian, captured and Taken!'**_

' _This is grave news, indeed. Is there anything more?'_

"No, my lords, that is all."

' _Very well. Thank you, Xur.'_

 **()()()**

"I came as soon as I could." Smoke said, when Mark greeted him.

"Thanks for that. Somebody's been taking out our sentries for a week, and it's living hell down here." Mark replied, gesturing to the cavern below them.

The cavern was enormous, a hollowed out asteroid that had been filled with buildings spanning the lake of industrial waste. The entire thing was enormous towers connected by walkways, some mere feet apart while others were broad avenues lined with stores and homes. Orwell-Omega was aptly named, the image of a delightful utopia concealing the dirty grime of the city below.

"We've been engaging rebels for weeks now. It's all out urban warfare." Mark continued, as the hustled down the stairs. "Queen's Guard vs Rebels, and neither side is winning."

"It sounds like you've got a classic Stalingrad situation." Smoke said, looking at the city again. Great billowing pillars of thick black smoke were rising across the skyline. "What do you know about this sentry-killer."

"Whoever they are, they're fast and deadly, but also utterly silent. We've had guards found with their throats slit mere feet from their fellows, and they didn't even notice." Mark explained. "We've got several key suspects, but the most likely is some guy named Psycho."

Smoke stopped, and looked at Mark incredulously, his faceplate shifting.

"Psycho? The Assassin of Lords?" Smoke asked.

"Yeah, that guy." Mark replied, not sure why Smoke was so awestruck. "He's just some mercenary scum that the Rebellion probably paid to harass our forces."

"I need a complete list of every area he's attacked, in chronological order, and a map." Smoke said. "If this is the same Psycho… we're in deep shit."

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Mark sighed. "Like, a really, REALLY bad feeling."

"Good." Smoke said, poking him in the chest. "That'll keep you alive."

"Who is this guy?" Mark asked a few minutes later, when they were standing in the Queen's Guard HQ. There were varied Awoken soldiers and Cabal infantry walking around, mostly of the Steel Conquerors unit, who had earned their name in the midst of urban warfare.

"Psycho is an enormous pile of anger, arrogance, and skill all congealed into a humanoid form and given weapons. He will kill anyone, for anyone, so long as the latter pays him." Smoke explained. "He has taken on contracts to kill everything from beggars to royalty, and once killed an Awoken queen." Smoke looked up from the lists and maps he was referencing. "And I have a feeling he's out to do it again."

"…Shit." Mark said, after several moments of silence. "This is not good news."

"Psycho rarely is." Smoke agreed. "Anyhow…" He trailed off, returning to his maps.

Mark simply nodded before turning and walking away. He eventually found himself face to face with the Awoken commander, Zeren.

"Hello again." Mark nodded. "Headed out on patrol?"

"Yeah." Zeren sighed. "That damn assassin struck again, took out a whole listening post this time. I'm leading a retaliation team, taking out a Rebel outpost."

"Mind if I join you?" Mark asked. "It's been a good day since I killed anything."

"Feel free." Zeren replied, waving his hand dismissively. "I'll welcome the additional firepower."

"Then let's roll."

 **()()()**

"Incoming fire on the right!" Devon called, hosing the area with auto rifle fire. "Watch those Vandals! Alex, hit that damn Servitor with a rocket!"

"On it!" The diminutive City Ranger called back, bracing himself on one knee before firing the standard issue Deacon-class RPG. The missile screeched through the air, before blasting into the floating orb that was the Servitor. The things one eye flashed red as it was torn apart in the explosion, its dying wail like tearing steel.

"Jordan, give Jason covering fire!" Devon called again, lobbing a grenade at a pair of Dregs, who screeched as they ran away, making easy targets.

"Gotcha, boss!" The man replied, opening up with his MG. The hail of projectiles forced the Fallen into cover behind rusted hulks of cars and broken concrete barriers.

Jason sprinted forwards, until he was right in front of a now very angry Vandal, which roared at him before losing its head to a shotgun blast. Jason embraced the unholy powers of the shit-eating grin, and fired again, sending a Dreg spinning away, now missing its left arm.

"Eat this, bitches!" The marine yelled, firing again and again with his Preacher Mk. 22. "Happy birthday!"

"Jason, shut up and keep shooting!" Devon yelled at his squadmate, before sighting and dropping another Dreg.

"Whatever you say!" Jason called back, before kicking a Dreg to the floor and blasting its head into mulch.

After several more minutes of intensive firefighting, they were done. The Fallen threat was eliminated, and now they could access the supply cache they had come for.

"Well, that went well." Jason remarked, as he and Jordan pulled open the rusted warehouse doors.

"Better than expected." Alex agreed, training his scout rifle on the door. "What're we here for again?"

"The Vanguard said there was something important here." Devon replied, his own auto rifle lowered.

"Not important enough for the Guardians." Jordan noted. "Must be something basic, a weapon cache or something. Alex, give me a hand here."

"Alright." Seeing Alex and Jordan, almost complete opposites in terms of build, struggling to open a door together was almost laugh inducing, Devon thought.

Finally, after almost of a minute of heaving, the heavy doors ground open. Devon turned on the flashlight on his rifle, illuminating part of the room inside. It was empty.

"I don't get it," He muttered. "They said it was right here!"

Jason went in first, rolling through the doors before coming up in a kneeling position with his shotgun up, before scanning the room. He stood up, and raised one fist. "Clear!" He called.

Alex was the next one in, scanning the room as well. Jordan followed, his machine gun in his hands. Then Devon himself walked in, as Jordan turned his shoulder lamp, which was considerably larger than Devon's rifle light. The large man looked around, the light revealing little more than dust and debris.

"There should be something…" Devon muttered, walking to one corner. He punched the wall in frustration. "There should be something!"

"Maybe we got the wrong warehouse?" Alex suggested.

"No, this is it, according to Zavala's tracker." Devon explained.

"Well, I guess the Fallen got to it first." Jason shrugged, before stepping forward.

Then the floor gave out beneath his feet.

"HOLY SHIT!" He yelled, disappearing into the abyss. Jordan ran to the space where he had been, looking into the new hole.

"You okay down there?!" He called.

"Ow…" A quiet complaint was Jason's only reply. "That sucked."

"Are you injured?" Jordan called again.

"No, just in pain." Jason called back. "It's fucking dark down here, but I only fell about eight feet or so."

"I'm coming down!" Jordan called, before leaping. He stuck the landing, sending up a cloud of dust upon landing.

"What's down there?" Alex asked.

"There's a lot of… fuck, give me a sec, the shoulder lamp is… there we-HOLY CRAP!" Jordan's last yell startled Alex.

"What is it?" Devon asked down.

"This room is filled with Exos!" Jason called back. "There must be dozens! And they're all fully intact!"

 **()()()()()**

 **What was that at the end? More plot threads, of course! Fear not, however, it will all pay off in the end.**

 **This has been Forossa, have a good night/evening/afternoon/morning.**


	8. Chapter 7

A Game of Rulers

 **Chapter Seven: Beyond All Repair**

 **Well, Bungie went nuts.**

 **Seriously, no Story DLC? Whose bright idea was that? 'Hey guys, you know how our main source of income has been our DLC packs that give the players new content? Let's replace them with Live Events like Sparrio Kart instead!' 'Alright Gary! High five!' (SMACK).**

 **Well, either way, it means I can stop writing something, have the DLC come out, and then look back and cringe at how wrong I was. Anyhow, let's get going!**

 **(Note: I renamed the chapter six times.)**

 **()()()()()()()()()()**

 **(Queen's Guard Acting Forward HQ, Orwell Omega)**

"Well, here we go again…" Mark sighed, checking the magazine in Payback SOS.

"No need to sound so upset about it, this is urban warfare after all." Zeren replied. "It mostly consists of clearing enemies out of fortifications made from rubble and destroyed buildings."

"Indeed, _Akenda_." Karrack, the Centurion in charge of the Cabal side of the operation, agreed. "We will drive the rebels from your lands inch by inch if we must."

"Thank you, Karrack." Zeren replied, nodding. "Anyhow, we'll be assaulting them from here, here and here." He continued, pointing out three approaches to the Rebel firebase. "This alley will provide a good stealth approach, but if they start firing down it, there's no cover. Sergeant Vorrin's Queen's Guard are using that approach. The main avenue is dotted with cover, but you'll be seen almost immediately. That's where the Cabal'll be coming from, since they can take more of a beating than the rest of us. Finally, Mark and I'll be approaching via the rooftops, and go in through the Atrium's glass ceiling."

"Alright, I can do that." Mark agreed, nodding. The two squad leaders agreed as well, and Zeren nodded at all of them.

"Then let's go get it done." Zeren finished.

 **()(Queen's Justice Courthouse Approach Alpha, Orwell Omega)()**

"Vanter, are we clear?" Sergeant Vorrin asked, looking to his squad's sniper.

"Yes sir." Vanter replied, not looking away from his scope. "I have a target in my sights, permission to eliminate?"

"No." Vorrin replied. "You stay back here and wait until I give the order, then put him down."

"Alright." Vanter confirmed. "Hurry up though, my trigger finger's itching like crazy."

"You'll scratch that itch soon, don't doubt." Vorrin said, before turning to the rest of his squad. "Let's move."

 **()(Hangman's Avenue [Queen's Justice Approach Bravo], Orwell Omega)()**

"Centurion, we are ready to attack at a moment's notice." Legionary Orrik reported.

"We move now." Karrack said. "Weapon's ready, advance!"

The squadron of Cabal marched up the avenue, drawing fire from the window's of the courthouse, where unseen Rebel's no doubt hid. Bullets pinged off of the squad's Phalanx's shields, the computers within telling their wielders the exact weapon type, caliber, and bullet velocity within milliseconds. It was mostly a hodgepodge of auto and pulse rifles, with the occasional rattle of a machine gun.

Karrack fired a burst of Projection Rifle rounds, the glowing yellow projectiles blasting holes in the courthouse walls. A section of wall collapsed entirely, a screaming Rebel following it down. Once the Cabal were within thirty meters of the building, they broke into a charge, firing all weapons. One legionary was brought down by a sniper's bullet, even as a burst of fire from his slug rifle brought down a Rebel soldier guarding the main doors. Another was hit several times but continued his charge, roaring in pain and anger.

Karrack saw the Queen's Guard assaulting from their alleyway, scout rifle fire crackling as the dark purple soldiers sprinted from the shadows. Sergeant Vorrin went knife-to-knife with a Rebel, before drawing a sidearm and shooting the Rebel in the gut. A sniper shot rang out and avenged the fallen legionary, the Rebel sniper toppling from his perch with a quarter-sized hole in his forehead.

The Cabal squad finally reached their destination, legionary Akkara slamming through the doors with a shoulder charge, before raising her slug rifle and hammering the room with solar rounds. Phalanx Barroth followed her in, slamming a Rebel with his shield and sending the man flying into the far wall. Karrack blasted a pair of rebels with a projection rifle round, before his shields were dropped by a rocket. He roared his displeasure before a Queen's guard dropped the rocket Rebel with a scout rifle round to the skull.

Vorrin ducked beneath a rebel's punch, stabbing him in the back before bringing the knife around and slitting another's throat. A third rebel fired a shotgun blast that dropped one of the Queen's Guard operators, his torso armour blasted open and his chest sundered beyond all repair. Vorrin brought his sidearm up and shot the shotgun-wielder four times in the chest and once in the skull, avenging his man's death. Legionary Akara blasted another Rebel from his sniper perch with a burst of slug rifle fire, while Vorrin sprinted across the room, his blade gleaming silver where it wasn't tarnished with blood. If one were to slow time and look at him, they would realize he bore a sadistic smile.

It was a good day to kill.

 **()()()**

Meanwhile, Mark and Zeren were having a considerably less enjoyable time, trying to figure out how to stealthily move past the two guards on the rooftop barring their path.

"I'm telling you, I could shoot them in, like, three seconds, if not less. Nobody would notice!" Mark argued. "They'd all be too focused on the damn Cabal tearing them apart to care!"

"We need to do this quietly, though!" Zeren countered. "If we're not careful, their leader will run for it, and we'll have failed the objective!"

"For the love of… fine. Let's do this quietly." Mark said, rolling his eyes.

"Alright, so the plan is, I slip behind the two of them, while you wait for my signal. When I hold up my right hand clenched in a fist, you stand up and charge. Then, while their distracted by the big orange and white guy in power armour charging them, I take them out." Zeren explained. Mark looked at him with disbelief, frowning.

"Really?" The Titan huffed. "'Hey, Mark, we need to do this quietly. So the plan is for me to sneak around behind them and then have you charge them!" He said, in a quiet pantomime of Zeren's voice.

"Well then, what's your plan?" Zeren asked, frustrated.

"Well how about we-" Mark was cut off by a sniper rifle's CRACK, followed by another shortly after. Zeren popped his head over their cover, and then ducked back down.

"Both the guards are dead." Zeren said, before vaulting over the wall.

"HOW WAS THAT QUIET?" Mark called after him, before groaning and following.

He hated sneaking around.

 **()(Imperial Land Tank 'Dun Admirallen's Gaunt Main Bridge)()**

" _Marchall, this is Primus Mak'aidos! Taken forces are withdrawing from the Scablands!"_ Marchall Kallus Thro'sern looked at the monitor displaying the young Primus, before nodding.

"Good work, Primus. We're deploying reinforcements to your position, stand by." Thro'sern replied, before he cut the com-link. The viewscreen darkened, only to light back up again as another commander opened a line.

" _Marchall, Bracus Tho'arn reporting. All Taken around target area exterminated. Requesting new orders."_ Tho'arn's crimson helmet crest took up the majority of the screen, while the battered off-white helmet took up the rest.

"Casualties?" Thro'sern asked, ignoring the brief report. After years of dealing with it, you grew to ignore Tho'arn's short and clipped style of speech.

"Minimal." Tho'arn replied.

"Meaning?" Thro'sern needed details.

"Thirty Legionaries, three Centurions. Ten Legionaries dead, while four more won't fight again. One Centurion crippled, other two will recover." Tho'arn reported. "Requesting orders."

"Return to forward operating base Sierra." Thro'sern sighed. Still too many casualties, but Tho'arn wasn't the kind of commander to waste men. He was sure the stern commander had tried his best to minimize the body count.

"Understood." The com-feed cut again. Thro'sern didn't even bother to power down the monitor, before rising from his command throne.

How he wished Erik were back. The Human, while lacking in energy, had shown boundless energy in organizing the entire sixth expansion fleet. Even when dealing with the secrecy of intelligence operatives, he had maintained a simple but elegant efficiency.

Not to mention that 'Dead Person' of his. The _Phandok_ had fused with the mainframe of the tank while present, making maintenance as effective as was possible. Thro'sern was tempted to return to his seat, but he needed to move around for a while, get the stiffness out of his bones.

"Arrithas, I am going to go inspect the vehicle bays. You have control of the bridge until my return." He called out to the Psion.

"Understood _Marchall_!" Arrithas saluted, before his console lit up green, confirming the temporary shift in command.

Thro'sern strode down the halls of the Imperial Land Tank, security personnel and vehicle crewmen saluting him as he passed. He nodded to every soldier, taking a cue from his former commander, before his thoughts drifted back to said predecessor.

Standard Cabal military doctrine demanded a Cabal General be aloof and distant from all but his most immediate inner circle, in order to preserve the image of a lord reigning over his subjects, whose every command was practically divine decree. This ensured orders were followed to the letter, and that the commander would be seen with the respect and dignity afforded to his rank.

 _Marchall_ Erik had been… different.

In opposed to ignoring the soldiers on the ground, Erik had associated with them, fought alongside them and even drank with them from time to time. (Not Cabal liquor of course. A well-brewed _Vonnik_ or _Wikkas_ would hit a human harder than a Colossus' seismic stomp). He would share in their jokes, hear their stories, and ask about their families. With the officers, he would tell and listen to stories of old battles fought, and of histories. Thro'sern still remembered Erik and Valus Ga'ir comparing Human and Cabal musical compositions (the strong sounds of orchestral works were still popular amongst the Valus' own battalion, whilst the roaring 'guitars' of metal music had been well appreciated amongst the Fire Blades more violent members).

Thro'sern stepped through Vehicle Bay Alpha's main door, gazing out over the fleet of Siege Tanks and Interceptors, Psion engineers frantically working to get them combat ready. Even as he watched, one of the auxiliary doors opened and three Interceptors sped out in a scouting formation. Following them was a Siege Tank, no doubt bound for some frontline. As he strode between the rows of vehicles, he overheard raised voices.

"-I need it ready now!" Thro'sern overheard one Psion operator say, gesturing furiously to an Interceptor.

"The right side cannon's been mangled beyond recognition! Do you know how much that'll affect your stability?" An engineer retorted, sounding frustrated. "Just give me half-an-hour and it'll be ready to fight again!"

"Operator, what seems to be the problem?" Thro'sern asked, looking down at the diminutive scout, who gaped at his general.

" _M-Marchall_!" The Psion stuttered, placing his hands behind his back in a Psion salute. "This… this _Fullner_ won't let me join my team on the frontlines!"

"And why is that, engineer?" Thro'sern asked, looking over to the mechanic.

"With all due respect, general, if I let mister Operator here take off in this vehicles current state, he'll be working with half the firepower and the Interceptor will be veering to the right constantly." The engineer replied in an irritated tone. "I just need half-an-hour with it and he can join his team."

"Operator, what good do you think you'd be with nonfunctioning equipment?" Thro'sern asked the Psion, who started to retort angrily.

"My team needs me-" Thro'sern cut him off.

"Your team needs you when you're ready to be of use. Would it help them to have a crippled squadmate?" The general asked again.

"…No." The Psion admitted. "It's just that, my sisters are out there right now, and I need to be there to back them up." He explained.

"And you will be able to, once your Interceptor is fully repaired." Thro'sern said.

"Understood, _Marchall_." The Psion saluted. Thro'sern returned the salute, before leaving.

How he wished Erik would return. Then all would be right with world again.

 **()(Depths of the Dreadnaught)()**

" _RISE, MY GENERAL, MY AEGIS. YOUR KING REQUIRES YOUR PRESENCE."_

" _WE ARE HERE, MY KING."_

" _GOOD. THE LIGHTBEARERS SEEK TO ENTER MY MOST HOLY OF SANCTUMS. ENSURE THEY FAIL."_

" _IF I MAY ASK, MY KING, WHO ARE THESE LIGHTBEARERS?"_

" _THEY ARE AMONG THE MOST DANGEROUS OF THEIR KIND, MY GENERALS. THEY BEAR THE LIGHT OF THE VOID, THE SUN, AND THE STORMS, ALL AT ONCE. THEY ARE FIVE STRONG, BUT HAVE SLAUGHTERED HUNDREDS OF MY SERVANTS."_

" _WORRY NOT, MY KING. YOUR GENERAL AND AEGIS WILL END THEM UPON THE STEPS OF YOUR THRONE."_

" _VERY GOOD, MY WARRIORS. DESTROY THEM SWIFTLY AND DECISIVELY. SHATTER THE LIGHT THAT POWERS THEIR IMMORTALITY, AND THEN BRING THEIR LIFELESS CORPSES TO ME, SO THAT I MAY DEMONSTRATE THEIR LEADER'S FOLLY TO ALL."_

" _UNDERSTOOD, MY KING."_

" _GO NOW, AND BE VICTORIOUS."_

 **()(Depths of the Dreadnaught)()**

Five warriors stood in that door.

One was clad in a cloak of yellow and black, a blade held over his shoulder and a scowl on his face. A smaller knife was held in his left hand, the hand clenching it sparking with electricity. This one was dangerous, the General decided. The Aegis agreed.

To his left was a woman with whose long robes reached her ankles, while in her hands rested an enormous machine gun covered in wires that crackled with energy. This one caused a spark of recognition to ignite in the General's mind, while the Aegis cared not.

The third man was enormous, standing as tall as a Hive Knight, or even one of the Princes. His arms were covered in fuel canisters, and his fists were wreathed in flames. The Aegis took note of this one, while the General merely marked him as a threat and moved on.

The fourth of the group was clad in armour of shining silver and carried an enormous shotgun in on hand, while his other crackled with lightning similar to the General's. The General knew he would be lethal in close quarters battle, and the Aegis knew he would be a force to be reckoned with either way.

The fifth and last of the force sent to kill their King was a machine, the Aegis noted. The General instead noted his armour, that marked him as one who studied the damnable Eternity-Machines. The purple aura around him marked him as a user of the mystical Void energies. The General determined this one to be the leader, given the obvious power he wielded.

Then the General stepped forwards, while the Aegis readied the wards. This would be hard fight.

 **()()()**

"By the Traveler…" Allisandra breathed, looking at the two humanoid figures standing at the ready. "Are they… are they Taken?"

"Looks like it." Jason said, pumping his shotgun, before stepping forwards. He was intercepted by Dominion's outstretched arm.

"Wait. Maybe we can talk to them." Dominion said, looking at the rest of his fireteam. "Hail, Guardians!" The Exo called, waving. "What are you doing here?"

"WE ARE THE GUARDIANS OF THE KING." The taller human replied, striding towards them. "YOU ARE TRESSPASSERS."

"Dominion…" Harune hissed, his stance widening as he brought his sword up.

"Why do you serve Oryx?" Dominion asked.

"THE KING HAS REVEALED THE TRUTH. THE TRAVELER LIES ABOUT ALL, HE DOES NOT. THE TRAVELER IS A COWARD, HE IS A HERO." The human spoke, as he stepped closer. Allisandra gasped.

"It's… It's Erik!" The Awoken said, shocked. "He's alive!"

"And he's Taken." Krasimir said, cracking his knuckles. "Jason, let us end Erik's misery together!" The Slovenian Guardian called to his shotgun-wielding comrade.

"I'm with you, Warsmith!" Jason called back, as they both broke into a run.

Jason beat the larger Titan to their target, a crackling wave of energy emerging from his shoulder as he attempted to ram the Taken Guardian. To his shock, Erik took the charge on his own shoulder, catching Jason in the side before grabbing him by the shoulder and underneath his chestplate. He then heaved upwards and Jason flew through the air, having been thrown by the former general. He hit the rocky floor with a thud, rising to his hands and knees before charging again as Krasimir attempted to punch Erik.

Erik caught Krasimir's punch with his hands, being driven back a foot but holding his ground. He brought his left foot around in a wicked high kick that drove into Krasimir's side, before he turning and bringing his right fist into the Titan's temple. The larger Guardian was knocked senseless for several seconds, as Jason attempted to smash Erik in the back. The Taken Guardian jumped over him, turning in midair as Jason's charge terminated in a powerful impact with Krasimir's torso, knocking them both to the ground.

Then Erik was struck in the side by a large sword.

Harune grunted with the effort of swinging his huge blade one-handed as he brought his knife around in a stabbing motion towards Erik's throat. The Guardian backstepped the stab, before kicking the Hunter in the chest with a plasteel and relic iron boot, driving his heel into Harune's chest. The Bladedancer was thrown back by that, as Krasimir came at him again, his fist driving forwards in a massive haymaker.

Erik was suddenly wreathed in a shield of green and black energy, Krasimir's fist simply bouncing off and jolting the giant man. This shield also protected Erik from a chain of shotgun blasts, Jason swearing as The Fourth Horseman failed to do anything to the bubble of energy. The bubble faded as Erik hammered his right elbow into Krasimir's forehead, before bringing his left hand around in a downwards blow that knocked the Titan to the floor for the second time in their fight.

Harune swung Sol Edge around in a massive arc, the blade practically shrieking as it flew through the air. But Erik was wreathed in the bubble again, and the blade was sent flying as it failed to even mark the black and green energy. Harune cursed before backing up, readying his knife. The bubble broke, and he slashed at Erik with the wickedly sharp blade. The former Striker caught his wrist in one hand and brought the other around in a wicked right hook that drove the Hunter to the floor with a broken jaw.

Erik looked up towards the two Warlocks still lurking in the doorway, just in time to catch a bolt of electricity in the chest. His armour buckled under the impact and heat as he was knocked off balance. The next bolt struck him in the shoulder, spinning him forty-five degrees, and the third blasted him off his feet, sending him spinning away. The Aegis summoned a black and green shield around his comrade, before catching deflecting a bolt back into the warlocks. The mechanical one was hurled back from the impact, while the woman hurling said bolts swerved to the side before firing one last blast that broke the shield protecting the Aegis and knocked him to his knees.

Erik rose from the ground, his armour blackened and cracked, and clenched his fists. They crackled with energy, as Dominion stood and drew Hawkmoon before nodding to Allisandra. Krasimir was on his hands and knees, trying to stand, as Jason reached for The Fourth Horseman. The Aegis was down on one knee, black and green energy swirling around him.

Then Erik started to charge the Warlocks.

Dominion started blasting away with Hawkmoon, but his bullets were rendered useless as a black and green field formed around the sprinting Taken Guardian, falling to the floor as they bounced off the shield. Allisandra opened up with Thunderlord, but the effects were much the same, arc rounds disintegrating on impact with the shield. Erik was closing in rapidly, only thirty feet away, then twenty, then ten.

Once he was close enough, Dominion rose several feet into the air, a large ball of swirling purple and black energy forming inside his hand which he pulled back before hurling it towards Erik. The ball struck right in front of where the Taken Titan was standing, and he disappeared from view.

"Fucking finally…" Dominion muttered, before turning to Allisandra. "Allisandra, what should we do about-"

The former Crucible Champion was stunned into silence when he realized where Erik went. Somehow, the Titan had warped forwards ten feet, through Dominion's Void Bomb, and impaled Allisandra with his right hand. The Awoken Stormcaller was suspended almost a foot above the ground with Erik's right fist punched into her lower chest and out of her back. Blood was all over the place.

"Why…" Allisandra breathed, her eyes wide in shock.

"YOU SEEK TO DESTROY THE KING. THEREFORE, I MUST DESTROY YOU." Erik said, before throwing his arm and the half dead Awoken attached to it aside.

Allisandra hit the ground with a hollow 'thud' and a rattling gasp for air. Erik turned to Dominion, his right arm still coated with blood up to the elbow.

"IT IS TIME TO END THIS." He said, before he stepped forwards.

 **()()()()()()()()()()()**

 **Well, that's the end of Chapter Seven. At least I didn't make it a cliffhanger?**

 **Anyhow, I apologize for not updating at all for a month. Life got hectic and the holidays are always a bitch. Luckily, I have a couple weeks off from basically everything, so maybe I'll update again in the next century.**

 **Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Years, everybody. See you all with the next chapter.**


End file.
